A faultless rendition of the Last Post by a bugler from the Tauranga RSA marked the recent passing of Air Commodore John Stewart Boys CBE AFC RNZAF (Rtd).

The 85-year-old was farewelled at a private funeral service held last Friday at Tauranga Park, Pyes Pa.

Known to all as Stewart, or Stew, he was well-known and much respected by former colleagues and friends alike.

Stewart is survived by his wife Liza and she and family members attended the service, including Stewart and Liza's new greatgrandchild.

His son-in-law Ronnie Hamilton delivered a fulsome eulogy, with tributes by his younger siblings Jenny Short and Lindsay Boys.

By special invitation, the current and a former President of the Bay of Plenty Officers' Club, Jack Best and Des Underwood, attended and paid tribute to their former colleague. Des also represented Classic Flyers NZ.

Heather Waldron attended for the Tauranga RSA reading 'The Ode” and bid Stewart the time-honoured farewell to an ex-serviceman: 'pass friend all is well”.

Born in Masterton on October 28, 1936, Stewart was raised a ‘West Coast Kid', who lived at Westport, Millerton and Waimangaroa, just north of Westport.

He was awarded an ATC Flying Scholarship in 1954 while at Nelson College and obtained a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL) with Canterbury Aero Club.

His passion for flying led him to joining the RNZAF as a pilot on his 18th birthday in 1955.

His talent and skills were rewarded when he was awarded the Sword of Honour as top student pilot of his Wings Course.

His career continued at RNZAF Base Wigram where he was Operations Officer before he became a qualified flying instructor (QFI) and over the next six years was assigned to a succession of postings with Pilot Training Squadron (PTS), and Central Flying School CFS, before returning to PTS as a Flight Commander.

As well as his RNZAF A1 Instructor Category and Instrument Rating Examiner rating, he was CFI at the NAC Flying Club and a part-time supervisor at Canterbury Aero Club with an A Category Civil Flight Instructor License.

Flight Lieutenant Boys was responsible for the production of the first RNZAF Air Publication on the Harvard and Devon types.

He was awarded the Air Force Cross in the 1966 New Year Honours for distinguished service as a flying instructor.

Later the same year, he completed a DH Vampire Operational Conversion, promoted to Squadron Leader, and posted to 14 Squadron (Singapore) to fly DH Venoms for two years during the Malayan Emergency.

On his return to NZ and after two years as a staff officer, he was sent on the one-
year Aero Systems (Technology) Course in the UK at the RAF College of Air Warfare at RAF Manby in Lincolnshire.

In 1970/72, he was successively appointed CO 75, and 14 Squadron, where he was responsible for fighter lead-in training (flying Vampires and Skyhawks) and training Forward Air Controllers destined to go to Vietnam (flying Harvards).

On completing the RNZAF Staff Course in late 1972, he was promoted Wing Commander and appointed CO 75 Squadron (Skyhawks).

Following this, he was appointed OC Strike Wing at Ohakea.

For six years from mid-1976, he spent time in various staff appointments in Defence HQ, including Director of Operations, and was promoted Group Captain in 1979. Appointed Base Commander Ohakea in 1982, he held the post for a record four and half years.

Group Captain Boys was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the QB honours in 1985.

On promotion to Air Commodore, he was posted to Singapore for three years as the commander, New Zealand Forces Southeast Asia. Air Commodore Boys was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the NY honours in 1991.

On his final tour (of duty) before retiring from the RNZAF on 28 October 1991, as the Air Officer Commanding, RNZAF Operations Group. After precisely 36 years' service with the RNZAF, Stewart and Liza moved to Tauranga.

In 1994, Stewart joined Walter ("Wal") Wagtendonk as Director of Aviation Theory Centre (NZ) Ltd and was responsible for writing and co-authoring several textbooks which were published after 1995, covering:
-PPL/CPL/Instrument Ratings. He also wrote and assisted with several Part 135 and 141 expositions

-(Operational Manuals) for clients, as an Aviation Consultant in the areas of syllabus development,
-examination writing and moderating.

In 2012, the Aviation Theory Centre (then called ‘Pilot Books') was sold but he continued as an Independent Aviation Consultant working for about 18 months with his client-base to write and update their - CM Parts 135 and 141 Manuals, as well as continuing for a time as a senior examination writer/ moderator with Aviation Services Ltd.

In addition to his aviation technical writing, Stewart wrote and self-published a book ‘Singapore Sojourn' covering the activities of 14 Squadron RNZAF, including flying DH Venom on loan from the RAF.

His second career in General Aviation ran for some 20 years which included nine years as Quality Assurance Manager / Safety Officer and Occurrence Investigator for the BOP Classic Aircraft Trust, Classic Flyers NZ.

He also led the team at CFNZ responsible for the care of Skyhawk NZ6201, which he flew when he was CO 75 Squadron, which had been loaned to CFNZ on its withdrawal from service.

Few fighter pilots have their ‘own' fighter on display at their local aviation museum! His contribution is gratefully acknowledged by Classic Flyers.

Stewart joined the Bay of Plenty Officers' Club and became a committee member in 1996.

In 2015, he joined the newly founded Bay of Plenty Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society and had been a regular attendee at Branch meetings until health issues prevented him from doing so from last year.

Stewart was also President of both the NZ Fighter Pilots Association and the 75 Squadron Association New Zealand, responsible for convening several biennial Reunions in various parts of the country.

His interests include history and genealogy, gardening, cooking, brewing beer and maintaining the family home.

He was also an accomplished artist painting in oils and watercolours.

Among the pictorial tributes shown at the farewell service, he was shown with a wooden motorboat he had built during his time in Singapore which was dismantled and meticulously rebuilt in NZ.

Stewart Boys retired as President of the Bay of Plenty Officers' Club in 2016, after 30 years' service on the committee, had been elected Club President in 1996, 2010 and 2015 and made a Life Member in 2003.

Through his RNZAF service and these three decades with the Officers' Club, Stewart has been ably has supported by his wife Liza.

In 2016, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Bay of Plenty Officers' Club, the Club made a special presentation of engraved silver tray to Stewart and Liza Boys.

Those who knew him will reflect on him as a skilled aviator, a top-rated military and civil flight instructor who had a natural talent as an author, painter, and boat builder. He was an unpretentious former senior commander who didn't suffer fools but who was generous of his time which earned him an enviable reputation.

He was always a gentleman who will be missed by his numerous former colleagues and friends.

His modest family farewell was limited by Covid mandate.

It was a pity, the three-ship fly past of three RNZAF Texan trainers which flew down the Main Beach, Mt Maunganui, streaming smoke last Saturday morning hadn't been able to be timed to overfly Stewart's funeral service, as the Texans are from 14 Squadron, which he had once commanded.

RIP Stewart.

-Prepared by Des Underwood, MRAeS, Past president Bay of Plenty Officers' Club and Imm. Past Chair, BoP Branch, RAeS.